Travelling on a shoestring budget might be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, going on a luxury vacation is something that a lot of people dream about, but they never get around to doing. If you want to make sure that you go to a bucket list destination, then this guide will tell you everything you need to know.
Start Planning Everything Early
When it comes to your luxury trip, you have to make sure that you start planning early. A 5-star trip won’t fall into your lap two weeks before you are due to leave. You need to plan out your trips as far in advance as you can. Ideally, you should be planning 6 months ahead for your trip if possible. Doing your research is also crucial. You need to make sure that you document the cost of things and that you also look up each luxury hotel in the area. If a luxury hotel seems cheap to book, then you may end up paying even more for the food when you arrive, so the costs will probably balance out. The last thing that you want to do is go to a hotel where you’re forced to compromise, only to find that you end up spending the same amount anyway. It can be helpful to read reviews to see other guests' experiences and narrow down your search. If you are staying in Kuala Lumpur, searching for Kuala Lumpur Hotels can help you discover what is available and book luxury hotels for less. From here, you can use different websites to check the prices of hotels to get the best deal.
Target some Cheap Destinations
Hotels and flights are going to be your two, biggest expenses. If you are able to save money on your flight, then this will make it easier for you to spend a bit more when you get to the hotel. You should try and use Skyscanner’s tool as this will help you to input your airport so that you can find specific flights that are cheap. If you are flexible, then this will work in your favour more than you realise. You may even find that you are able to make more room in your budget when it comes to dining too. It’s helpful for you to get familiar with your destination because places such as South Africa or even Thailand are way cheaper to travel around when compared to Switzerland and even Finland. If you want some help making your stay the best it can be, then check out the Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club.
Get Organised
Getting organised is the key to planning your trip. This is especially the case if you are going on a longer one. You should really be using Microsoft Excel if possible. You can download a template online and when you have something like this, you can make your life way easier. If you stay organised and if you outline all of your costs early, then this will help you to start saving for your trip in the shortest space of time. It will also show you how long you can go on holiday for before you begin to run out of money, so it’s vital that you keep this in mind.
Discover your Hotel
When you are doing your research, you have to make a list of all of the dream hotels that you intend on staying at. You then need to make a list of the average cost per night, so that you can then add it to your sheet. Checking the Excel sheet that you have made will also help you to take notes of any deals that may be available as well.
*Post contributed by peer travel and food writer, Paul Stone, who is based in the U.K.*
